Does meat causes cancer?

There is now a clear body of evidence that bowel cancer is more common among those who eat the most red and processed meat. Processed meat consumption has also been strongly linked to a higher risk of stomach cancer.
The World Health Organisation has classified processed meats – including ham, salami, sausages and hot dogs – as a class 1 carcinogen which means that there is strong evidence that processed meats cause cancer. Red meat, such as beef, lamb and pork has been classified as a ‘probable’ cause of cancer. These classifications do not indicate the risk of getting cancer, rather how certain we are that these things are likely to cause cancer.
Cancer Council estimates that in 2010, one in six (or 2600) new bowel cancer cases in Australia were associated with consuming too much red meat and processed meat.

Lean red meat can be an important source of iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and protein. In terms of cancer risk there is no reason to cut meat completely from your diet, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk.
There is not enough evidence to draw any conclusions on eating poultry and the risk of cancer. However, eating fish may help to reduce the risk of bowel, breast and prostate cancer.
Meat may affect cancer risk because of chemicals formed during digestion that have been found to damage the cells that line the bowel. Other likely factors include the fat content, and the way it is processed or cooked; or because big meat eaters miss out on other protective foods such as fruit and vegetables or wholegrain cereals.

How much meat should I eat?

Cancer Council recommends eating only moderate amounts of fresh lean red meat. A moderate intake of meat is 65-100g of cooked red meat, 3-4 times a week. This is also the recommendation in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.

Cancer Council recommends people limit or avoid eating processed meats, which are high in fat, salt and nitrates. Because of the high fat and salt content of processed meats, the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating considers processed meats to be ‘discretionary choices’ that should only be eaten occasionally. (Examples of other discretionary choices that should only be eaten occasionally include fast food, cakes, confectionary and chips).
Try to choose lean cuts of meat or chicken, have more fish and make sure you eat plenty of plant-based foods such as fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals.

Fill half your dinner plate with vegetables and don’t think of meat as the main part of the meal.
Include at least three different coloured vegetables with your main meal.
Have some legume-based meals each week. Legumes include lentils, chickpeas, baked beans and red kidney beans. There are many types of dried peas and beans, which can be added to casseroles, soups or salads.
Buy lean cuts of meat – with the fat trimmed off and little marbling of fat.
Trim any visible fat off the meat before you cook it.
Choose chicken pieces without the skin or remove skin before cooking.
Canned fish like tuna and salmon make an easy sandwich with salad.
Adapt your recipes to include more vegetables, eg add carrot, celery and peas to Bolognese sauce.
For stir-fries, reduce the amount of meat and add extra vegetables.
Experiment with vegetable risottos, frittatas made with vegetables and eggs, hearty vegetable soups or vegetable curries.